This invention relates generally to the unloading of contents of multi-layered containers, and more particularly to a method and apparatus for unloading live poultry, and particularly turkeys, from a plurality of multi-level coops on a transport vehicle.
Poultry, and in particular turkeys, are typically transported to processing plants in multi-layered cages, coops or containers carried by a large transport vehicle such as a flatbed trailer truck. Unloading of the turkeys at, for example, a processing plant, in a systematic manner so as to avoid piling or congestion of the turkeys in the loading area and so as to avoid damage to the turkeys has long been a problem.
A transport truck typically carries as many as 120 coops for turkeys, holding approximately 1,440 turkeys; the same size transport truck typically carries as many as 160 coops for chickens, holding approximately 13,200 chickens. The poultry cages or coops are generally multi-level, usually six levels high for turkeys and up to 12 levels high for chickens.
The coops used for transporting turkeys are normally mounted on both sides of the transport truck trailer, with their coop doors or gates facing the outside of the trailer. The multi-level cages generally are stacked from 8-10 feet high, are built in sections of 8-16 feet long, and are generally about 45 inches in depth, with approximately a 6 inch ventilation air space provided between the coops down the middle of the truck. The doors of such turkey transport coops generally lift up and slide back into the coop at their tops, in overhead door manner. Such coops are generally known.
Unloading of turkeys from their carrying cages or coops of the transport vehicle and into a processing facility has long been a problem for the processing industry. Such unloading has been very labor intensive and is difficult and often dangerous to the person doing the unloading. Similarly, the unloading process is traumatic to the bird being handled, and often results in injury or damage to the bird.
Due to the large size of turkeys, their unloading has generally been performed or assisted by hand, where an unloading person typically opens one coop at a time and individually removes each turkey from its transport cage, either lifting the bird into its confining shackles for processing within the plant, or placing the bird on a conveyor belt leading into the plant for subsequent anesthetizing and handling. Since Tom turkeys generally weigh between 25 and 40 pounds, the unloading task is extremely strenuous, time consuming and difficultxe2x80x94and the turkeys are generally uncooperative in the process. The process can also result in undesirable damage to the turkey, which is accentuated by the fact that larger turkeys are more susceptible to injury if roughly handled.
Various automated techniques for unloading turkeys from the stacked coops have been attempted. Some methods successively lift the back ends of the turkey coops so as to pivot the coops about their lower front edges, thereby depositing the turkeys from a tilted coop onto an adjacent conveyor belt. Other methods do not require the lifting or tipping of any of the coops on the truck. Some methods enable the transport truck to be systematically emptied by progressively removing the contents of coops, one at a time by the use of an indexing carriage assembly, without the necessity of any human intervention, until the truck is completely empty.
Improvements in unloading techniques are desired.
The present invention provides an improved method and apparatus for gently, reliably and efficiently unloading poultry, and particularly turkeys, from loads of coops onto an input conveyor for a poultry processing facility. The method and apparatus eliminates the need for operators to touch or directly handle any of the turkeys during the unloading operation, thereby reducing labor costs and reducing injuries sustained by the operators. Further, the moving and urging of the turkeys during the unloading process is performed in a manner which is humane and noninjurious or traumatic to the turkeys, thereby enhancing their carcass value while still significantly reducing the costly labor intensive unloading processes typically practiced by prior art techniques.
According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided a poultry unloading apparatus for unloading poultry from a transport load of coops stacked in ordered rows and columns, wherein the coops are of the type having walls defining an internal cavity, a moveable gate for selectively opening and closing an access port into the coop internal cavity. The unloading apparatus generally comprises a support structure positioned along side and outside of the coops and a carriage moveably positioned within and supported by the support structure. The carriage is moveable into and out of a coop through the access port. Poultry within the coop is unloaded from the coop by the carriage.
The unloading apparatus has a main support structure that includes a frame, and transport rails. The support structure extends essentially parallel to the coop and the transport rails extend essentially parallel to the transport vehicle on which the coop is supported. The rails extend along the length of a plurality of coops and move the frame from one coop to another. A moveable carriage, supported by the support structure, has a containment volume for retaining poultry. The containment volume is defined by a carriage top, a first side wall and an opposite second side wall, a back wall, and the coop floor. The carriage is constructed to be supported by the support structure and to be moved into and out from the coop.
A conveyor apparatus can be provided in conjunction with the unloading apparatus. The conveyor apparatus includes an unloading conveyor extending generally along the length of a row of coops of the transport load and perpendicular to the movement of the unloading carriage in relation to its support structure. Poultry, removed from coops by the unloading apparatus, is deposited onto the unloading conveyor. A cross-over conveyor, extending generally perpendicular to the conveyor apparatus and parallel to the coop and unloading apparatus, can be provided to facilitate transfer of the poultry from the coop to the unloading conveyor.
While the invention will be described with respect to a preferred embodiment or embodiments thereof, it would be understood by those skilled in the art that the invention is not to be limited to the specifics of either the components used or the specifics of the coop structures employed. Further, while a specific technique for unloading a transport load of coops will be disclosed, the unloading process or sequence described is not to be interpreted in a limiting manner. Those skilled in the art will readily envision other techniques, configurations and embodiments of structures which embody the claimed principles of this invention.
Further, while the invention is described with respect to the handling and processing of turkeys and other poultry from transport trucks, the principles of this invention are not to be limited thereby. The apparatus and unloading processes described could well be applied to the unloading of other types of cargo.